Josh Boyce likely to miss Sunday’s game

Last Sunday, the Patriots had rookie wide receiver Josh Boyce in the lineup while Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson were both inactive with injuries.

It’s looking like the opposite will be true for the Patriots this weekend. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports that Thompkins and Dobson are both likely to play against the Ravens on Sunday. Thompkins has missed two games with a hip injury while Dobson has been out for three weeks because of a foot issue.

Boyce, however, was out for the third straight day because of an ankle injury. While we won’t find out his official designation for Sunday until later on Friday, it is a real long shot that Boyce will be ready to go for the Baltimore game after spending the entire week on the sideline.

Left tackle Nate Solder practiced again on Friday, but still needs to pass one more concussion test to get cleared to play against the Ravens. Solder didn’t get that clearance until Sunday morning after a previous concussion, so his status could be a true game-time decision again this week.

Can’t make this up with the amount of injuries the Patriots have had to deal with this season. They’ve lost their top defender at every level for extended periods, two on IR (three if we count Kelly) and Talib having missed a month, Gronk is out until next season, Vereen missed ten weeks, Amendola missed a month, and their rookie receivers can’t get healthy, plus the offensive line loses Vollmer, Cannon for a couple weeks, and Solder’s concussed. It’s really a shame because this season had a lot of promise, but I just can’t see this team being that much of a threat in the playoffs with the defense reverting to the sieve it has been the last few years and the offense really lacking a big time threat with Gronk out. Who knows though: maybe they make a run